GS2 Another Fairy Tale
by Denise Felt
Summary: When the commander goes missing during an alien attack, his command staff fear the worst.


**2. Another Fairy Tale**

**(A UFO Story)**

by Denise Felt 2011

**Chapter 1**

"Alright! So the upgrades were a help after all. Stop grinning like you knew it all along. It was a huge risk to take!"

Straker leaned back in his leather chair, his grin only widening at the frustration in his second-in-command's voice. "It wasn't that big a risk, Alec. I'd personally overseen most of the development of those upgrades. I knew they'd do well."

"Yeah, but even you didn't know they'd been replaced with something much more deadly." Col. Freeman waved the hand holding his whiskey glass to emphasize his point.

"Maybe," the commander conceded. "But Nyt had assured me that the original upgrades would work." He shrugged. "So why shouldn't we use them? They hadn't been tampered with like the others."

"Yeah, but you only had some crazy fairy's word on that! What if she'd been wrong?"

Straker's brow rose sardonically. "She wasn't."

Freeman huffed into his drink.

His friend leaned forward over his desk. "Listen, Alec. I understand your reservations. And I shared them for the most part. But I could hardly hold it against her that she was some creature out of folklore when she managed to save SHADO and all of Earth by telling us what was going on. And she was right. Everything she told me that night turned out to be true. Why should I question the rest of it?"

The colonel eyed him ironically. "You have to ask?"

Straker grinned again, sitting back in his chair. "Relax, Alec! I had the upgrades thoroughly tested before I sent them on to the various facilities. They worked fine." He spread his hands. "And even you have to admit that those upgrades have made all the difference these past few weeks in stopping our nasty friends from even getting close to Earth."

"I'm not denying that, Ed! I'm just saying . . . !"

"What? That I shouldn't have believed her? Just because she isn't human? Come on, Alec! Surely you're not that short-sighted?"

"Short-sighted?" the colonel asked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

His commander sighed. "Look. Just because we're fighting against a race who thinks we're easy pickings and has the firepower to make it a tough battle to keep them at bay doesn't automatically mean that every other race we come across is going to be just as vicious as they are! Have you even considered how vast the universe is, Alec? We may easily have to deal with other races as time goes on. Races not only more advanced, but more ruthless than the one we're fighting now."

Freeman had been gaping at his friend, but now he closed his mouth with a snap. "Well, there's happy news!" he snarled.

"It's one scenario. There are countless others. What I'm trying to say is that we have to be ready for anything. And open-minded enough to accept that not all aliens may want to destroy us. Some might want to help."

The colonel frowned. "According to you, she's not an alien. I mean, didn't you say she and her fellow fairies belong here on Earth?"

Straker's lips twisted into a grimace. "What I said is that they are indigenous to Earth, while humans aren't. They let us settle here millennia ago, Alec, when they clearly didn't need to do any such thing. If I tend to think that means they're not trying to plot our demise, call me naive!"

Unexpectedly, Freeman grinned. "Okay. You're naive." His eyes twinkled merrily as the commander only glared at him. "I know what you're saying, Ed. I do. And I suppose you're right. It's silly to be prejudiced against her for not being one of us. But – good God! She's a damned fairy! How am I supposed to take that seriously?"

"By forgetting your Grimm fairytales for a moment. They had it all wrong anyway. She's a keeper of Gaia, Alec, not some flighty and fickle creature of folklore. She's ancient, even if she does look nineteen. And she has the wisdom of all those centuries of existence added to it. It's not her fault that her people have been the victims of bad publicity all these years. Try to keep an open mind here!"

"Alright," the colonel said on a sigh. "I'll try."

Straker sat back in his chair, pleased that he'd managed to get through to his friend. "Besides," he said after a while. "I'll take help from anyone who makes my job a little easier. I don't care what they are or where they're from! And you have to admit, things have run much smoother since she visited me that first night."

Alec grunted, then drained his glass. But when he got up to put it back onto the dispenser shelf, he asked, "Have you seen her recently?"

The commander shook his head. "But then, we haven't needed to either. None of the UFOs that have tried to breach our defenses since then have managed to land. And that's when her help would be needed, after all. If they landed on Gaia."

The colonel looked at his friend. "So it's not Earth anymore? It's Gaia? Come on, Ed!"

Straker shrugged. "They were here first, Alec. If they want to call the planet Gaia, who are we to argue?"

Freeman shook his head, certain he would never truly understand his friend. "So you'll just go along with them?"

The commander grinned unrepentantly, settling back into his chair. "It's still Earth, no matter what you call it."

Straker was still chuckling about his conversation with Alec as he drove home from the studio. Trust his good friend to get hung up on stereotypes when everything they'd been through this past month threw such things out the window! Hell, if the term fairy bothered him so much, he should just think of her as a keeper instead.

But then he had to remind himself that Alec hadn't been there when he met Nyt. He hadn't experienced that eye-opening and awe-inspiring encounter firsthand as Straker had. He hadn't seen her fly or watched how the wildlife treated her as if she belonged there amongst them. He'd only had Straker's word for it that it even happened.

The commander sighed. Nine out of ten friends would have told him he was out of his mind and walked away. But not Alec. Sometimes he forgot what a treasure of a friend he had in Alec. Sometimes he even took him for granted. But since the incident with Nyt and the subsequent dealings with traitors in their ranks, Straker had been reminded just how much he depended on his friend. For his unfailing trust in his commander, for his loyalty, for his innate common sense. He wondered fleetingly where he'd be if Alec hadn't stuck to him like glue all these years? Through all the hardships, all the difficulties. All the disasters. He wondered where he'd be right now if he hadn't been able to depend on that rock solid friendship?

Hell, he wondered where Earth would be?

Without warning, the road in front of his car exploded in a fireball, raining rock and debris onto his hood and cracking the windshield, instantly forming a blinding mass of radial lines. He swerved instinctively, narrowly missing the enormous new pothole ahead of him, careening headlong off the road. His brakes were useless on the dewy grass, so the car kept its swift forward motion until stopped suddenly by the thick trunk of a tree.

Steam poured out from under the crumpled hood of the car as the radiator burst, but otherwise nothing else stirred as the UFO that had fired on the car searched for a safe place to land.

**Chapter 2**

Col. Freeman sat back in Straker's leather chair and picked up his whiskey. Lovely Lt. Anderson had just brought him the proposed shift schedules for the next fortnight, and he supposed he'd best look them over. He would have preferred to look her over, but he knew he made her nervous. He wouldn't have minded that so much, since what good was all his charm if he couldn't fluster a girl? But he was aware that in this instance, it wasn't his smile that concerned her. It was his drink. Her father had been a mean drunk, and because of that she tended to shy away from anyone who smelled of booze. Which was probably a good policy, he thought as he considered what most drunks were like.

Lucky for him, he had a cast iron stomach and had learned to handle his booze at an early age.

He glanced at the drink dispenser in the corner of the office and gave a deep sigh. Ed, the teetotaler, had set it up for him years ago when the office was built. Despite Alec's objections. Despite the colonel's concern that morale would slip if the staff thought their commander secretly imbibed. But then, Ed knew that his old friend worked best with a few drinks under his belt. So he'd ignored all Alec's expostulations and put the cabinet in anyway. God bless him! He saluted the drink dispenser (and his absent friend) with his whiskey tumbler and grinned before gulping it down. He set the empty glass onto the desktop and reached for the schedules.

A ring of the phone snagged his attention midway through the first page, and he absently lifted it to his ear. "Freeman," he said.

"Colonel," answered Lt. Anderson, her husky voice unusually tense. "The car alarm for Commander Straker's car has just gone off!"

He froze for one horrified instant. Then he barked, "I'll be right there!" Tossing down the phone, he raced out of the office and over to the communications console where she sat. "Where is he? Have you tried calling him?"

Col. Foster pointed to a topographical map he'd laid out over a computer terminal. "He's on the road between here and his house. There are some dense woods along this strip, so if he's in trouble, he'll have the chance to hide."

Alec's heart was in his throat, but he said, "Did you try calling him? It might have been a pile-up or something. We've had no activity since the UFOs that were destroyed this morning."

Lt. Anderson spoke up. "He's not answering his phone."

Freeman's eyes met Foster's. "Get out there, Paul. Take a team and find him!"

"I'm on it!" the colonel declared as he ran for the exit.

The car was easy enough to find even in the dark. Of course, the enormous pothole in the middle of the road was a dead giveaway that something terrible had happened here, but the sleek bronze car smashed into a tree several yards off the road set the seal on it.

Paul leapt from the mobile before the driver even had a chance to come to a stop and ran to the car. "Straker?" he called, heedless of the danger of possible attack from the surrounding trees. "Commander?"

He bent down and looked into the car from the open doorway. Dark puddles stained the seat and floor of the driver's side. More of it was splattered against the broken windshield, and when he touched one of the puddles, he could tell it was blood. Lots of blood. He had to bite his cheek to keep his gag reflex in line. This was his commander's blood. He swiftly turned from the doorway to signal the mobile driver.

"Contact HQ. I need to speak to Alec."

"What do you mean, he isn't there?" Col. Freeman barked into the microphone at the communications console. "Surely they didn't have enough time . . . !"

"There's something else, sir," Foster continued, knowing he was piling up the bad news on Freeman's head. "There's blood in the car. Lots of it."

Dead silence rang through the connection for several moments. And also through the Control room. Hideous scenarios threw themselves in front of Alec's eyes, and he viciously fought them all back so that he could think. Ed was alive. He refused to accept any other fact than that one. And they'd find him – before the aliens did.

"Listen, Paul! Get the team searching the area."

"They already are. But it's pretty dark. He won't be easy to find if he's trying to stay hidden from the aliens." He didn't add that the commander might not be in any condition to help them find him either. If he was passed out or in shock from blood loss, they could walk right by him and not even know it.

"I'm sending out a second team to help you look. Your first priority is to find Commander Straker. Put the second team to work finding the aliens and taking care of them. You find Ed! Do you hear?"

Col. Foster glanced back at the wrecked car, seeing in his mind the pools of blood staining the interior. He bit back a sensation of hopelessness. "Yes, sir."

"Get Sky 2 in the air!" added Col. Freeman to the lieutenant as he headed back to the office. "We might need it."

"Oh, Alec!" said Col. Lake with dismay. She had come into the Control room in time to hear Paul's findings concerning Straker's car. She followed him into Straker's office and closed the door before saying, "Surely you don't think that will be necessary?"

He threw himself into the commander's chair and growled, "It doesn't matter what I think! We've got to be ready for anything, and you know it!"

"But – Ed!"

He cut her off. "Damn it, Ginny! Ed's the one who's drilled it into my head how he wants any such scenario handled! We've discussed this a million times. Anything's better than letting them get him to their planet! You know what would happen then."

There was silence in the office for a moment as they both considered what would in all probability occur once the aliens had the commander in their power. Virginia shuddered once before getting her thoughts under control. She sat on the chair in front of the desk and met his worried gaze.

"I know, Alec. I know what they'd do to him." She thought of Craig – and how horrifying it had been to realize what had been done to him by their enemy. Lobotomised and put under mind control and sent back to destroy the very base he'd helped build from scratch. _Not Ed,_ she thought, blinking back tears. _Not him! _

It simply couldn't be allowed to happen to the commander.

"What have you got, Paul?"

Col. Foster radioed back. "We found one of the aliens."

"Alive?" Alec asked.

"No, sir. There was an exchange of gunfire. He's dead. No sign of the commander yet."

Freeman met Ginny's worried eyes as she stood near the communications console. "Keep looking!" he demanded.

"Right."

"Col. Freeman?" said Lt. Anderson, listening to her headphones.

"Yeah?" barked Alec, wishing he were out there right now. He'd find Ed soon enough. Damned if he wouldn't!

"It's Sky 2, sir," she answered. "Capt. Waterman."

"Put him on." After she toggled the button, he said into the mike, "What's the situation, Lew?"

"The UFO has lifted off, Colonel," the captain said. "I've got it on radar. Do you want me to intercept?"

Alec's heart stopped, and he knew exactly what Lew was asking him. _Are you giving the order to kill the commander? _His tortured eyes met Ginny's once more. Suddenly he remembered Ed as he'd looked just that evening in his office, grinning while he teased Alec about fairies. Could he do it? All talk aside, could he give the actual order to kill his best friend? And more than that; could he kill the only man keeping the planet safe from attack in an effort to keep that same planet safe from future attack?

"Do it, Lew!" he croaked.

"Yes, sir!"

Col. Lake's eyes filled, but she did not break eye contact as they awaited the outcome. Her hand went to her throat and remained, pressing slightly as if she was fighting an obstruction there. But her eyes remained locked with Alec's.

After endless minutes, the captain radioed HQ. "Detonation positive, Colonel. UFO destroyed. Returning to base."

Col. Freeman's eyes closed, shutting out the rest of Lew's report, shutting out Ginny's white face, shutting out the gasps of the stunned night staff – shutting it all out as he accepted the awful truth. Ed was dead. That was hard enough to swallow. But much worse was knowing that he had been the one to do it. He'd done the unthinkable. He'd killed his best friend.

_Ed!_ he screamed in his mind. _Forgive me!_

"Contact Paul," he told Virginia dully. "Have his teams return to HQ." Then he left the Control room, every step a painful one.

**Chapter 3**

"Commander!"

The voice called to him, a voice he recognized from a dream. But the tone was off. Concern – even worry – tainted that melodious sound, causing a sense of urgency to stir within him.

"Nyt?" He ached everywhere, and all he wanted to do was to slide back into the blissfully quiet darkness where he'd been before her voice interfered. "Tired."

"I know," she said from somewhere close by. "But you need to wake up for me now. Just for a little while. Then you can sleep again."

"'kay." He struggled to open eyes that seemed glued shut and finally managed it. Her lovely face swam into and out of focus. There was a warm thickness dripping into one of his eyes, and he swiped at it. But it just kept dripping.

"Here." She tore a length of silk from her dress and folded it into a thick ball, then placed it into his bloody hand. "Lay that over your wound. You need to get out of the car. Can you open the door?"

He obediently laid the cloth on his forehead, then winced when he felt the bump beneath his hand. He blinked stupidly at her, trying to understand what she wanted from him. "Door?"

"The car door, Commander. Can you open it?"

He thought about that for a minute. "Sure." He fumbled at the catch, then stumbled from the car as the door slid up. The night air outside the confines of the car was cool and felt good against his face. He blinked rapidly, leaning drunkenly against the side of the car as his mind began to clear. _Aliens. He'd been ambushed_.

She touched his arm, and he looked at her. The world was still out of focus, but he could still see in the sparse moonlight the worry etched on her delicate features.

"Can you walk? We need to get you to a safe place before they come."

Since he ached all over, there was no way to be sure where any damage might be. He looked down at himself, then wished he hadn't when it made him so dizzy that he almost toppled over. He steadied himself against the side of the car, then said raggedly, "Not sure. My leg."

She glanced down – and immediately saw his problem. His right pant leg was drenched in blood, no doubt covering a deep wound. She tore off more of her dress and squatted at his feet, winding the silk deftly around his leg. "We can't leave a blood trail," she told him softly.

When she rose, she took him by the arm and helped him into the nearby trees.

Nyt held him tightly as they made their way through the thick underbrush of the forest. Her sensitive ears had picked up stealthy movement near the car soon after they entered the cover of the trees, and she didn't have a lot of hope that the invaders wouldn't be able to track them since it was impossible to go as quietly as she would have preferred. The commander was barely conscious, and barely on his feet. In consequence, he stumbled often, his body noisily knocking off small branches from the closely-packed trees as they headed for safety. Despite no blood trail, a keen observer would have little difficulty following them, even in this poor light.

She wished fervently that it were possible to fly off with him under her wings. But she knew even her powerful wings would tear trying to carry aloft their combined weight, and it would do them little good if she herself ended up injured trying to save his life. She looked back over her shoulder once and saw a dim red-suited figure enter the woods where they themselves had just minutes before. She tightened her grip on the commander's waist and urgently murmured in his ear for him to move faster.

Straker was so dizzy and nauseous from trying to stay upright that when he tripped over a root and fell, the cessation of motion was a welcome relief. His cheek felt blissfully cool against the ground, and he closed his eyes, wanting nothing more than to quietly slide into unconsciousness.

"Commander!"

He groaned. Nyt might have been a delicate fairy, but she was a harsh taskmaster. "Can't," he murmured in exhaustion. "Done."

"No, you're not done!" she said sharply, shaking him. She could feel the clamminess of his skin and the fine trembling that ran through his body and knew that he was going into shock. "There's just a bit more to go before we reach safety. Not much at all. See?"

He sighed and opened his eyes, glad that the world didn't spin now that he was lying still. "What?"

She pointed to a glint in the darkness a short distance away. "There. That rock formation. Safety lies just beyond it. Surely you can make it that far?"

He frowned at her. "Just rocks," he murmured, absurdly disappointed that his struggle to stay on his feet all this time hadn't been rewarded with a more tangible prize.

"Do you trust me, Commander? Do you believe that I will get you to a place of safety?"

He met her pale eyes in the darkness. His mind wouldn't function at anywhere near its normal speed or alertness, but seemed covered in a dense fog. Vaguely he was aware that he must have a severe concussion. But he tried to give her question its due nonetheless. "Yes," he said. "Trust you."

"Then let's go," she said, looking worriedly into the woods behind them.

He let her help him to his feet, almost groaning when the dizziness returned. "Can't walk."

"Then lean on me."

"'kay." Somewhere at the back of his mind, he knew that doing so was wrong. Men didn't lean on women. They were the weaker ones, after all, and needed to lean on the men. Not the other way around. But he just didn't have any more strength to stand on his own, so he gave in and let her take most of his weight as they stumbled their way toward the rocks up ahead.

But when they finally reached them, he saw that what he had thought was nothing more than an outcropping of granite in the hillside actually hid a small cave. Its pitch black opening looked to his unfocused eyes like a gateway to hell, and he balked at entering. "No! Nyt. No!"

"It's alright," she soothed, not needing to know the reason for his fear to be aware that he felt it. "We're not staying here. But we have to go through it to get to the safe place."

A cold sweat sprang out on his forehead from the claustrophobia he had fought his entire life. "Can't!" he gasped. He wanted to cry suddenly at his own weakness. He knew he was badly injured and that Nyt was only trying to do whatever it took to protect him, and therefore Gaia, from destruction. But he also knew that he could not force himself to enter that gaping hellhole, no matter what safety awaited on the other side. He stared at her in despair.

Then they heard it. From nearby came the sound of rapid gunfire. Straker realized suddenly that he wasn't armed. His gun was back in the glove compartment of his car, much too far away to be of any help to them. And fear rushed through him like a strong wind. Not fear for himself. He knew he was almost spent. At this point, death would be a welcome relief from the pain and the nausea. But he couldn't let anything happen to Nyt. She had put herself in danger for his sake, and he could not let her courage be rewarded with death. Or worse. He couldn't even imagine what horrors the aliens might do to her if they got their hands on her.

He firmed his lips and said, "Move!"

Together they entered the cave.

The cave was so dark inside that he finally decided he'd be better off just to close his eyes and let Nyt guide them. She didn't seem to have any trouble negotiating the deep blackness, after all. Once he did so, the dizziness backed off. And suddenly his other senses heightened. His nostrils filled with the dank mustiness of the cave; that particular foetid odor that made his flesh crawl and reminded him of the grave.

Straker could also smell, underneath the overwhelming scent of decay, Nyt's unique perfume. Not the bottled kind that women dabbed on to feel pretty, but a certain elemental fragrance that spoke of sunlit meadows and wildflowers dancing in the breeze. He could almost feel the warmth of the sun on his clammy skin and finally realized that it was – in part – true. Wherever Nyt's body touched his as she held him up, her fragile arm wrapped firmly around his waist and her slender frame taking most of his weight without complaint, warmth spread from her body into his. He didn't know if it simply seemed that way because he was in shock and cold to the bone or if she was somehow transferring her warmth, her strength, into his body to enable him to make it to safety. He almost asked her about it, his mind – though sluggish – wanting even now to solve the puzzle. But he held his tongue. If he knew, he would be forced to tell her to stop. It was all wrong for a dainty creature like her to give up her own lifeforce for him. However, he knew instinctively that if she didn't, they wouldn't make it to safety.

So he kept quiet. But inside his clouded mind, he berated himself for being so weak.

Straker blinked in the sudden sunlight as they stumbled out of the cave. He would have fallen if she hadn't been there to guide him to a shady spot under a maple. He slid to the ground gratefully, not quite sure he wasn't dreaming. The meadow smelled like Nyt, sweet with wildflowers and new spring grass. The sun was so bright that it dazzled him after the total darkness of the cave, so it took him a while before he realized that they weren't alone there. Other fairies sat or walked through the meadow, busy about their own pursuits. Several of them looked over when they first emerged from the granite face of the hillside, but none of them seemed to feel that Nyt needed any help because they soon went back to doing whatever they'd been doing. He marveled at the softness of the grass he laid on, at the bold colors of the flowers, and at the sweet clarity of the air – so clear it seemed to shimmer.

"Am I in heaven?" he asked her in wonder.

She carefully brushed his hair off his brow. "No, Commander. But you are safe from your enemies here."

He met her soft grey eyes for a moment. "Thank you," he said on a sigh before losing consciousness at last.

**Chapter 4**

"Forget it, Ginny! I'm not packing it in until we find him!"

Col. Foster's voice over the radio was furious, and Virginia couldn't blame him. No one wanted to believe that the commander was dead, after all – least of all the man sent to rescue him. "Paul . . ."

The colonel glared at the trees all around him, but reined in his anger enough to say over the radio, "The rest of the team isn't ready to return either. We'll keep up the search until morning. Maybe with a little more light, we'll be able to get a better idea where he went."

She really couldn't argue with that, so she reluctantly agreed, promising to send out a fresh crew at daylight to take over for them in the search. But she knew they wouldn't find anything. They all knew that the UFO wouldn't have taken off without what it had come for. Paul was deluding himself by thinking they still had a hope of finding the commander alive.

But in his place, she wouldn't want to quit searching either.

Outwardly calm, she sipped her coffee and signed reports in the Control room. But inside she was weary beyond measure with the struggle to keep the staff from losing all trace of professionalism in the wake of the destruction of the UFO. And she'd been left to handle the aftermath alone, since Alec had retreated to the commander's office to bury his grief in whiskey. Damn him! But she couldn't really be all that angry with him, since she wished she could take the same route. But someone had to stay alert and keep the morale at HQ from crumbling to dust. Someone had to treat the crisis as if it was just another incident for the records, instead of possibly signaling the end of the war.

_God! What were they going to do without the commander?_

Virginia finally went into the office to update the colonel and let him know that Paul was continuing the search.

"What good will it do? It's a waste of time! Order them back," the colonel said bitterly, scowling at her as he drained his glass.

Col. Lake held her ground. "You know as well as I do that we can't simply accept the way things are, Alec. We have to keep trying, even if there's the slightest chance that the commander might still be out there somewhere – injured, but alive and needing our help."

"You know he's gone. You know it!" His eyes dropped to his empty glass. "We're only fooling ourselves by continuing this charade."

"Possibly." She firmed lips that wanted to tremble in despair. "But it will keep morale higher if we keep searching until Security calls it off. Let the staff hate Gen. Henderson for giving up on the commander. Not us, Alec. The blame shouldn't fall on those who loved him most."

"But it is, Ginny," he said dispiritedly. "We are to blame. I am. I'm to blame. I ordered that UFO shot down. There's no getting out of that. I ordered Ed killed!"

She sighed. It was so hard to get through his pain to make him see how necessary it was to keep their heads. "It was standard procedure to shoot down that UFO. No one will hold that against you, Alec. Especially since we don't have solid proof that the commander was aboard. But if we call back the teams now, especially when they want to go on, it will look like we wanted Commander Straker dead. Let Paul's team keep searching."

"Fine!" He waved a hand at her, letting her have her way. None of it mattered anyway. They wouldn't find Ed. But if it kept Henderson off their backs, he was willing to go along with it for now. He got up and poured himself another whiskey and took it back to Ed's desk, sitting and laying his head back wearily against the headrest.

Ginny watched him, looking as hopeless as he felt. After a moment, she said, "You did the right thing, Alec."

He ignored her, staring at the ceiling, his hand gripping his glass tightly.

She came closer to the desk. "You did what he wanted. What was best for him. What was best for all of us."

He slammed the glass down on the desk, slopping some of it onto his hand. "What was best would have been for him to have increased his security! What was best would have been for him not to have been alone out there! If he'd just accepted the security detail I wanted to give him months ago, he'd be alright now. He'd be fine. He'd be safe!" His voice rose as he flung out a hand to emphasize his anger. "But did he? Did he listen to me? Did he ever for one minute listen to me?" His face crumpled at these words, and he began to weep – harsh broken sobs that came from deep within. He buried his face in his hands and let it come.

Ginny sank onto the chair in front of the desk, saying nothing, just waiting patiently for his grief to pass. There was much that had to be done now. SHADO needed to be able to continue even with the loss of their commander. Sooner or later, the general would get wind that Straker was missing. They had to act as though there was still a chance to locate him. If they didn't, Henderson would step right in and have him replaced. And that, on top of everything else she was trying to handle, would be just too much. Her own grief was such a tight fist around her heart that it was difficult to breathe. But she was pretty sure that Alec, even as devastated as he was, would not take any change in leadership in stride. In fact, she was fairly certain that any attempt to alter HQ's setup in any way would be met with unusual resistance from Col. Freeman. Even if – _especially if_ – Henderson gave Straker's job to him.

With the end result that he'd probably land in the brig. She sighed. Somehow, she had to find a way to keep that from happening.

When Straker woke, he had no idea how much time had passed. The sun was still high in the sky, but that didn't mean that he hadn't been out for a while. Since he was pretty sure it was still night on the other side of that cave, he figured that he wasn't going to be able to guess time here by the slant of the sun. It felt blissfully cool under the tree, with the shurring of the maple leaves in the fragrant breeze a constant hum in his ears. He became aware of two things simultaneously. One was that his head was no longer on the grass, but was pillowed on a lap while gentle fingers stroked through his hair and down his side. It felt at once so foreign for him to be held, yet so indescribably lovely, that he didn't fight it.

The second thing was that Nyt, who was obviously the one cradling him on her lap, was having an argument with someone else – another fairy at a guess. He tried not to be distracted by the warmth of her touch as he listened to their conversation.

"You had no right to bring him here!" demanded the other fairy in a melodious voice not made for anger.

"He needed to be safe, Seriptamina," answered Nyt calmly as she continued to stroke him. "We cannot afford to allow any harm to come to him. He is necessary to Gaia."

"Fine! But I'm sure there were countless other safe places you could have taken him than here. Sacred meadows are for keepers – not for humans!"

"His home was too far away for us to reach," Nyt explained. "And he was too badly injured to attempt it. As it was, his enemies nearly caught us several times. I had no choice but to bring him here. I needed to get him to safety before he died from his wounds."

He stirred at that, remembrance of pain and nausea coming back to him like a fading echo. She soothed him with her touch, and he quieted, her warmth seeping into his body and easing every ache.

"Even so," continued Seriptamina as if all this was of no consequence whatsoever. "He doesn't belong here. You've set up a dangerous precedent, Arianythra, by bringing a human here. I hope you are willing to deal with the consequences of your impulsive actions!"

"I am quite willing to account to the Council for my actions," answered Nyt quietly. "If and when I am asked to do so. Until then, perhaps you will give us some peace so that he may heal."

The other fairy made a sound very like a rabbit might if enraged, and by the silence that settled over them he assumed that she was gone even though he hadn't heard her leave. Then he remembered that keepers had wings and decided that she must have flown away.

Nyt gave a soft sigh and spoke. "How do you feel, Commander?"

He opened his eyes and looked into her grey ones above him. "Much better than I have any right to feel, Nyt," he said with a wry smile. "Thank you. Have I gotten you into trouble?"

Her smile bloomed. "Not in the least. Seriptamina simply likes to fuss."

"Did I thank you for saving my life?"

Unexpectedly she blushed. "Yes, Commander. You did."

"Good." He considered her flushed cheeks for a moment, then asked, "How bad off am I?"

She met his eyes once more. "Oh, you're not nearly as hurt as you were! Don't you feel any better?"

"Much," he said. "But I figured it was mostly because you're holding me."

Her blush deepened as she looked out over the meadow. After a moment, she said somewhat stiffly, "It is necessary for you to heal."

His smile widened, his blue eyes starting to twinkle. "I'm not complaining, you understand."

She looked swiftly at him, then grinned in relief when she saw his smile. "I did not want you to think I was taking liberties with your person," she said. "Humans have odd ideas about such things."

"I suppose we do," he murmured. "So. How long before I'm well again?"

"Not much longer," she assured him. "Your concussion is already much better, your ribs are healed, and your internal injuries are coming along nicely. Your leg is being difficult, but perhaps when the rest of you is well again, it will decide to cooperate."

He hadn't realized just how wounded he'd been. He'd known it was bad, but to hear her calmly reciting his catalog of injuries was a bit daunting. Thank God he was improving quickly! "I'm sorry to be such a burden to you."

She shook her head, her long curls sliding over her arms as she moved. "You are not, Commander. Instead, we keepers are honored to be of service to you."

He looked out over the wildflowers, barely able to make out in the distance the dark-haired fairy who had spoken to Nyt. "Apparently not all of you."

She shrugged. "Seriptamina understands your value to Gaia. She just likes to complain."

"And here I was thinking that all keepers were as perfect as you."

Her blush returned, but she bravely met his eyes. "I'm not! You surely know that I'm not. I was so harsh to you when you were in such pain, making you go on when you only wished to rest!"

He laid his hand over her restless one. "You saved my life when I was ready to give up. I'll never be able to thank you enough for that, you know."

She suppressed a quick shudder as she recalled how dire his situation had been, but he felt it nonetheless. She did not meet his eyes when she said softly, "It was the least we could do for you, Commander."

"Won't you call me Ed?" he asked.

She shook her head sadly and kept her gaze on the meadow. "It would not be . . ." She swallowed once, then finished. "Wise."

He could not fail to understand her. And although his heart gave a great bound to know that he meant something more than just the salvation of Gaia to her, he was quite aware of the impossibility of their different situations in life. He was mortal; she was timeless. And they both had one overriding job to do: to save the planet. Nothing and no one could ever be allowed to get in the way of that goal. For either of them.

In silence he watched the flowers sway in the breeze, soothed by the quiet touch of her healing hands until he fell asleep once more.

When he woke, it was still sunny. And he was still laying with his head on Nyt's lap. He sat up, concerned that he'd kept her chained to one spot for so long. But his head didn't appreciate his sudden movement and began reeling. He gasped, reaching out a hand to steady himself.

"It's alright, Commander," she said, taking his arm. "Take it slow."

Straker took a deep breath and tried to focus on her face. After a moment or two he was able to see her clearly as the dizziness passed. "How long was I out?"

"Not long."

He searched her features. "Are you okay?"

Her lips twitched, and her brows raised. She wasn't the one who'd been injured, after all. "Shouldn't I be?"

He grimaced. "I'm sorry. You must be stiff from sitting still for so long."

She shook her head at him. "Not at all, Commander. I'm fine."

Hearing his own standard answer on her lips angered him for some reason. His expression darkened. "You're obviously not fine! You're pale, and you look exhausted. You can't keep giving me all your energy!"

She smiled softly at him. "It is mine to give."

"Damn it, Nyt!" Suddenly he noticed that they were no longer alone under the tree. He glanced over and saw another fairy sitting near his feet, her delicate hands tracing over his injured leg.

She looked up at his glance and smiled. "Hello, Commander," she said. "I am Elisaria. It is an honor to serve you."

She had a wide smile, short spiky black hair, vivid wings the color of eggplant, and looked about ten, he thought. If ten year olds had the figure of a goddess. He turned back to Nyt with a glare.

She was leaning against the trunk of the maple tree, her hands flat against its bark as if drawing strength from it. Which, perhaps, she was. She smiled knowingly at his discomfort. "Gaia is happy to assist you, Commander. We are aware of your importance to our world, even if you are not."

As if in response to that statement, another fairy came up to him, offering him a large leaf full of berries. "You must be hungry by now, Commander," she said in her melodious voice, smiling sweetly. "Please, eat."

He took the leaf from her hands and ate a berry or two while she watched; but once she left, he glared at Nyt again.

She chuckled. "I know, Commander," she said. "You'd be much happier if we left you to fend for yourself. But even you must realize when it is prudent to allow others to help you."

He grunted, but she was aware that it wasn't in agreement. However, he stopped glaring at her and finished off the berries in silence. When he set the leaf aside, he met her eyes once more. "Is it still night out there?" he asked with a gesture toward the granite hillside.

"Nearly dawn now," she answered. "Are you in such a hurry to leave?"

He sighed, fairly sure that his leg wouldn't carry him very far. If his head would even allow him to stand up long enough to check it out. "I need to get word to Alec that I'm alright. They'll be searching for me. They may even think I'm dead."

She frowned. "You did bleed a lot. I hadn't realized that they might be concerned by that." She looked at him closely, no doubt seeing everywhere he still wasn't healed. "I don't think you're ready to strike out on your own just yet." She glanced at Elisaria, who was still working with his leg, and they shared a moment of unspoken communication that he had no trouble interpreting. He sighed again. Obviously his leg wasn't improved enough to walk on, and he wasn't going anywhere.

"Is there some way I can get him a message?" he asked, doing his best to keep his irritation at his helplessness out of his voice. He was pretty sure they didn't have phones here. Or email.

She thought for a moment. "Would he be able to accept my presence?"

He met her eyes in surprise. "I didn't mean for you to go to him directly. You're worn out."

She lifted her arms in a stretch, then got to her feet. "I'm fine now." And he could see that she was. In fact, she looked as fresh as he was used to seeing her. Not at all as if she had spent the night caring for an injured man. He was amazed that she had recovered so swiftly.

She smiled in understanding. "Gaia heals itself," she explained.

And he nodded, a bitter taste in his mouth. "Of course. And I'm not from Gaia, so it's harder."

"Yes," she said gently. "But you are healing."

"If you help me back through the cave, I might be able to contact them," he said somewhat stiffly, trying not to be offended. "They can get me to a hospital."

She laid a hand on his arm. "Commander. That is not necessary. I know how much you hate hospitals. Please know that Gaia is honored to do this service for you. We wish it were possible to do more."

He could not hold out against her entreating gaze. It wasn't her fault, after all, that it infuriated him to know that he was an alien on his own world. She wasn't his enemy. She'd proved that over and over, and it was time his pride accepted that humans weren't in charge of this planet. "Very well. How do I let Alec know I'm alright?"

"You've spoken to him about me," she said. "Will he accept my presence?"

It was what she had asked him before. "I'm not sure," he said, thinking about it. "He's actually a lot more flexible than he gives himself credit for being. I suppose it really just depends on how upset he is over my disappearance."

"Alright," she said. "What message shall I give him?"

**Chapter 5**

"Colonel Lake?"

Virginia left the bank of computers and came over to the communications console. "What is it, Lieutenant?"

Lt. Anderson grimaced. "We just received word, Colonel. General Henderson is on his way over to HQ."

"Great!" the colonel muttered. "Who called and woke him up, I wonder?" That was all they needed to set the cap on tonight's disasters – Henderson coming in and throwing his weight around at SHADO HQ! She asked, "How long do we have before he gets here?"

"Less than an hour, Colonel."

Ginny sighed. "I'll inform Alec."

"Damn it!" Col. Freeman growled, glaring at her from bloodshot eyes. "It's the middle of the night! Can't you find some way to keep him from coming here?"

Unexpectedly, she grinned. "Well, if you hadn't shot down the UFO, we could ask the aliens to stop him for us."

"Very funny." He glowered, but after a moment, his lips twitched. He met her eyes and sat back in defeat. "You know he's going to want to replace Ed immediately."

"I know," she said quietly. She came closer to the desk. "Will you take the job?"

He looked miserable. "I dunno, Ginny. I sure as hell don't want it!" Then he sighed and ran a hand over his face. "But Ed would want me to."

That was answer enough, she knew. "I'll hold him off as long as I can," she told him.

"Thanks."

After she left the office, Col. Freeman stared into his glass for a long time. Then he downed the contents and got up to pour himself another. Vaguely he was annoyed to find that he was still steady on his feet. He wanted to be drunk. He wanted oblivion, damn it! He wanted to forget for one moment what he had done to his best friend!

Most of all, he wanted to be sloshed by the time Henderson got here.

He turned to go back to the desk and saw a fairy standing nearby. He blinked at her in surprise, then scowled and stomped to his seat, slamming the glass onto the surface of the desk. "I refuse to take on his delusions!" he snarled. "Damned idiot! I'll take his job, since I doubt if anyone's going to give me any choice in the matter. But I won't take on his damned fantasies!"

Arianythra merely smiled at his tirade and stepped closer to the desk. "The commander is not dead."

Alec's bloodshot eyes met hers in astonishment. "What?"

"He lives."

Col. Freeman shook his head, despair written on his face. "No. I killed him. I ordered Lew to shoot down that UFO. Ed – he's dead."

"He wasn't onboard the ship," she said softly. "I was able to get him to a safe place before the invaders could find him."

His bleary eyes sharpened on her face. "You did? He's okay?"

She shrugged. "He is on the mend," she corrected.

Suddenly he remembered Paul's report of the blood in the car. "We need to get him to the hospital! Where is he? How bad off is he?"

"He is healing even now from his wounds," she assured him calmly. "Gaia is caring for him. He will be well very soon now and . . ."

He waved an impatient hand. "What do you mean, Gaia's caring for him? How in the hell is that possible?"

She drew herself up in annoyance at the interruption. "We keepers are caring for him. He is improving by the hour."

"Keepers?" Alec blinked at her blankly. Then he sat back as an unholy light entered his eyes. "Ed's being taken care of by – fairies?"

As his lips twitched, she relaxed into a smile. "So it seems. It is much preferable to having him in a hospital, don't you think?"

He leaned all the way back in the chair, grinning at the images such a scenario conjured up in his mind. "Oh, definitely!" he said drily, well aware of his friend's aversion to medical treatment of any kind. He felt almost giddy. Ed was alive. And he had a harem of gorgeous fairies catering to him. Alec chuckled. He wished he could be there to see it!

Suddenly he frowned at her. "How do I know you're not just spinning me a fancy tale? Ed may have trusted you, but I've got no guarantees, after all, that you're telling me the truth."

"He said to tell you that it's still Earth," she said, taking his distrust in stride.

Alec relented, relief flooding his body as he recalled his friend's final words to him. "Damned fool!" he announced to no one in particular. "See if I ever let him live this down. See if I do!"

It was obvious that those obscure words had convinced him of her veracity. She tilted her head slightly and asked, "Then his words had actual meaning to you? It sounded like foolishness to me."

"Oh, it's what he was teasing me about before he left work," Alec explained with another wave of his hand. "That you could call it Gaia all you wanted, but it would still be Earth to us humans."

"I see." And she did. And it depressed her no end that the greatest human she had ever encountered could not accept that when Gaia welcomed the humans all those millennia ago, they became a part of Gaia. Perhaps their human physiology wasn't perfectly compatible, making healing a slower process than for indigenous species. But in every way that counted, humans had become a vital part of Gaia's existence. Why did they have such difficulty believing that?

Why did _he?_

"How soon will he be back?" he asked.

She glanced up at him and tried to smile. If she had her way, the commander would never again leave the safety and security of the meadow. But she could not keep the commander with her, no matter how much she might wish it. He belonged here – with his friends and co-workers. With humans.

"Later today. If you'll have someone waiting near where his car crashed, he will return there."

Alec might have drunk far more than his usual amount of liquor. He might have been impaired by a night spent hating himself for doing what had to be done. But he wasn't so far gone that he couldn't see misery in a woman's face – and interpret it correctly. "You know, Nyt," he said inconsequentially. "Any fairy could have been sent to tell me Ed's alive, and it wouldn't have mattered to me. But I knew he sent you as soon as I saw you, because of the way he described you to me."

She met his eyes in surprise. "Oh? How did he describe me?"

His smile flashed. "As the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen."

Nyt blushed and looked away, unsure how to react on hearing that the commander considered her beautiful. And it seemed – if she was interpreting the colonel correctly – as though Alec did not find that attraction bizarre or distasteful (as most humans would.) Perhaps he even approved. She turned back to him and said, "I begin to understand now, Alec, why he values you so highly."

They grinned at each other in perfect accord – then she disappeared in a swirl of tiny flickering lights. He blinked for a minute or two, then sighed and reached for his glass. He downed it in a gulp, then got up to put it away on the shelf. Ed would be coming home soon, and there was work to be done before he got there.

Col. Lake was at length forced to bring Gen. Henderson to the HQ office. She could only hope that with the extra time she'd given him to sober up, Alec wouldn't be too belligerent with the general and land himself in hot water.

But she certainly didn't expect to find the colonel grinning as if he was about to enjoy himself thoroughly.

"Come in! Come in!" he said cordially to the general, as if it weren't the middle of the night with their commander dead. Freeman waved a genial hand for Henderson to be seated, then told the colonel, "You can go now, Ginny."

She gaped at him in stunned surprise for a moment, thrown by his merry demeanor, then headed back out to the Control room without a word. But her mind was in a whirl.

Since Straker was sitting up against the trunk of the maple tree watching for her while two fairies worked on his leg and a third brought him some nuts to eat, he was able to get the full effect of Nyt's beauty as she glided into the meadow from the sky, her wings outspread and softly undulating in the sunlight. His heart missed a beat in awe even as he acknowledged that there could never be more between them than a friendship based on one basic need: the need for Earth to survive.

All of a sudden, he wished that he didn't have to leave her so quickly. Didn't have to return to the pressures and demands of his job quite so soon. That he could remain with her in this quiet meadow just a while longer. It had been so peaceful here. And peace was not something he got to enjoy every day.

Nyt had spent her return flight trying to accept that the idyll would soon be at an end. The commander would surely be finished healing by the time she got back to the sacred meadow, and he would have no reason to delay his return to his work and his friends. But – oh! She wished she could keep him with her always! How much she admired his calm manner and the direct way he had of looking at a person with those blue blue eyes! How droll she found his occasional sarcasm! How wonderful, his elusive warm smile! She did not know when a human had caught her attention the way that he had from the very first. And it seemed that once she had spoken to him, she only wanted his company even more.

What was a keeper to do?

She met his eyes as she landed on the soft grass, wishing it were possible to suspend this moment forever, allowing them to gaze their fill upon each other. But time was not an element of Gaia that was easy to manipulate, so she merely took his outstretched hand with a small smile and sank onto the grass at his side.

Straker found that he had to speak past a sudden lump in his throat. "Arianythra," he murmured, overwhelmingly aware for the first time in a long while that he was in the presence of a being far more wondrous than any human could ever hope to be.

Nyt's smile widened involuntarily. "I like hearing you say my name," she said softly.

Her light grey eyes were luminous in the shade of the maple, and he wanted nothing more than to drown in them. So of course, he forced himself to look away and get to his feet. His right leg held his weight with only a slight twinge, and he gave Nyt's friends a smile of gratitude for their help in healing him.

Giggling, they fluttered away, leaving him alone with Nyt and feeling tongue-tied for the first time in their acquaintance.

She rose to her feet and faced him, knowing that the time had come for their farewells. But somehow, she couldn't say the words.

Finally, he found his voice. "I suppose Alec took the news well?"

Nyt had to smile. "Quite well. He was relieved to hear that you were alive."

Straker nodded absently. "I was afraid that he might think I was dead. He tends to fear the worst where I'm concerned."

Her brows lifted. "And does he have reason?"

He grimaced slightly. It wasn't as though he could very well deny that he gave his friend cause for worry. He was standing there in blood-stained clothing, after all. "I suppose."

"I told him you would meet him by your car."

"Good." He glanced toward the hillside that hid the cave, then looked back at her. "Although I'm not sure just how to get back to it. I wasn't very coherent on the way here."

Once more she smiled, even though their situation was hardly one that warranted humor. But she was so relieved that he still needed her companionship – at least for a little while longer.

"I will take you," she said.

"Thank you," he said as they started for the rocks. "I apologize for being such a burden to you. Your patience is admirable."

She stopped and looked at him in surprise. "You were no hardship to care for, Commander. Indeed, I wish . . ." Her expressive eyes slid away from his, and she walked on.

But he laid a hand on her arm. "What do you wish, Nyt?" he asked softly.

She didn't know how to put all the turmoil she was feeling into words. Keepers didn't usually have such conflicting emotions. Eventually she said, "I wish that you did not have to leave the meadow." She gestured sadly to their surroundings. "It will not be the same here without your presence."

He wished he didn't have to leave either – and almost said he'd stay. In fact, he had to literally bite his tongue to keep from uttering the words. But he knew that he had already been too long with her, and it was important for all concerned that he get back to reality – his reality – before he did something stupid.

Like tell her how he felt about her.

"I'm sorry, Nyt." Inadequate words, those. But they were the safest ones he could find.

She nodded, not looking at him. They stood for a moment, his eyes on her averted face, his hand still warm on her arm – the air around them shimmering with all the things they could not say. Then she said a trifle huskily, "We should go."

His hand fell, and he went with her to the cave.

**Chapter 6**

Somehow Straker had assumed that, having survived going through the cave once, the second time would be easier. But it wasn't. In fact, in many ways it was worse, since his mind was more alert this time and fully aware of his terror. He shuddered once as they entered, then closed his eyes, clung to Nyt's hand, and tried to ignore the cold sweat that broke out all over him.

He felt wrung out by the time they reached the other entrance, and had to stand for a moment leaning against the rock face to regain his composure before moving on. Then he straightened his ruined jacket, ran a hand through his hair to smooth it somewhat, and gave her a brisk nod.

"Let's go." He started off, then turned to her as she moved to follow. "Um – perhaps you should lead."

She grinned, understanding completely. He was used to being in charge, but in this instance he was at a disadvantage, since he didn't know which way they had come. "Of course, Commander," Nyt said and led the way through the underbrush.

After they had walked for some time, he stopped her with a hand on her arm. "Nyt?"

She turned and looked at him in the soft green light of early morning as it filtered through the thick canopy of trees overhead. "Yes, Commander?"

He frowned back at the path that they had taken so far, a path that was nothing more than a winding break between dense trees and overgrown bushes. Then he met her pale eyes in the soft light. "I don't think I fully appreciated your efforts in my behalf, Nyt."

Her brows raised in inquiry. "Please explain."

He gestured to the forest crowding them. "I wasn't very lucid on my first trip through these woods, so I didn't realize how far you had to take me to get me to safety. I should have died. I should never have made it anywhere at all. I know how bad off I was."

She searched his face, trying to understand. "You wished for me_ not_ to have saved you?"

"No, of course not. I merely find myself even more grateful than I would have thought possible that you were willing to go to such lengths to protect Gaia."

Unexpectedly, she blushed. Without a word she turned and continued walking through the trees. But after a long while, she stopped once more and turned to meet his eyes. He was surprised to see that her color was still high. "Commander . . ."

She paused, as if searching for the right words to say. Then she said, "Protecting Gaia is my primary responsibility."

"I know that, Nyt," he said quietly. "And you do an incredible job."

"Thank you." She almost left it at that, but found that her heart would not allow it. She blurted, "But even if Gaia had not been at stake, I would have saved you!"

Straker watched her blush deepen and felt humbled. He lightly traced his fingers down her flushed cheek before dropping his hand to his side once more.

"Thank you," he murmured.

She nodded, but did not try to say anything further, her entire being thrown off balance by his touch. It was as though every cell in her body was suddenly focused on that one point of contact, which made no sense at all. But since it was not a sensation she had ever had to deal with before – and indeed, had no idea how to handle – she merely turned away in confusion and continued leading him through the woods.

Straker was surprised when she eventually stopped walking, because they were still not in sight of the road. But when she turned to him, she explained, "One of your men is just beyond those bushes. He should be able to lead you the rest of the way back."

Although he couldn't see anyone nearby – the forest was too dense for good visibility – he had no doubt that she was telling the truth. And suddenly he was tongue-tied once more – wanting to say so much, but unable to even begin.

"Nyt, I . . ."

She laid a slender hand reassuringly on his arm. "Thank you for allowing Gaia to assist you."

"Will I see you again?"

She smiled softly. "Do you wish it?"

"Very much."

Her smile widened. "Then you shall," she murmured, lowering her eyes before he could make out their expression.

There was a sudden movement among the underbrush, and he heard an indrawn breath. Then –

"Commander? Commander Straker?"

"Here!" he called, then turned back to say good-bye to Nyt. But she was gone, only a vague twinkling visible in the soft green light filtering through the trees surrounding him.

Foster tore through the bushes and gasped at the sight of him. "Commander! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Paul," he replied automatically, thrusting aside all regrets over returning to his own portion of reality. He had a job to do, after all.

Col. Foster didn't look convinced as he took in Straker's blood-soaked clothing and disheveled appearance. He stepped closer and asked quietly, "Do you need a gurney, sir?"

The commander laid a hand on his shoulder, his lips quirking wryly. "It looks a lot worse than it is, Paul. Do you by any chance know the way out of here?"

Foster grinned in relief. "Right this way!" Thrusting his way back through the bushes, the colonel led him toward the road, calling in the search team on his radio as he did so.

The ride back to HQ was accomplished with speed and efficiency, and Straker was pleased to note that the new upgrades on the mobiles made the vehicles run much more smoothly than before. He hadn't looked forward to being bounced from head to toe in the back of a mobile for miles on end. He spent most of the trip with his eyes closed and his head laid back against the headrest, trying to figure out how to handle this situation in a way that wouldn't necessitate him remaining in the Medical Centre for the next three months under quarantine. When he did finally open his eyes, he noticed the colonel watching him closely – and almost sighed.

Glancing down at himself, he could well understand Foster's concern. The state of his clothes made him look like he'd been thoroughly beaten up and left for dead. He assumed that blood still clung to his hair in places, as well. Then he noticed the silk still wrapped around his right leg. He reached down and peeled it off, not entirely surprised when it easily removed itself from the dried crustiness of the surrounding pant leg. It hadn't failed to catch his attention once he woke in the meadow that Nyt's gown showed no signs of ever having been ripped. He ran the silk through his hand, marveling at how it remained supple in spite of its stains. However, as remarkable as the silk was, it was a poignant reminder of her at a time when he could not afford to reminisce. He had to keep a clear head.

"What is it?" Col. Foster asked, eying the cloth warily.

Straker's hand clenched on the fabric momentarily. Then he met the colonel's eyes squarely. "Nothing important. The bleeding stopped some time ago." He casually balled the silk and stuffed it into his jacket pocket.

"Sir?" the colonel asked hesitantly.

"Yes, Paul?"

"How – ?" He swallowed and began again. "We searched all night and never found a trace of you. To tell you the truth, the most we expected to find once it got light enough to see was your dead body."

"I'm sorry, Paul," Straker said quietly. "I wasn't trying to be hard to find. Not by a friendly, anyway. I'd found a cave that provided some shelter and hid out there until morning. I knew I'd never find my way back to the car in the dark. It was worse than a maze in those woods."

Foster grimaced. "Yeah, it wasn't easy going for us either."

"Thank you."

The colonel's eyes suddenly filled and he looked away, saying gruffly, "Well, at least we found you alive."

When Commander Straker entered the Control room, applause broke out among the operatives. He checked at the sound, embarrassed, and his eyes flew to where his second-in-command stood leaning against a pole, grinning broadly. Straker did his best to ignore his cheering staff as he approached the colonel.

"Well, Alec," he said when he reached him. "It's really good to see you."

"Likewise, I'm sure!" Freeman replied, whose grin widened further as he slapped his friend on the back. "Let's get you to the Medical Centre, shall we?"

"Commander, would you like a wheelchair?"

Straker looked in surprise at Col. Lake, who stood nearby, concern written all over her face. He sighed and shared a look with Alec before answering. "Thank you, Colonel. But I think I can get there under my own steam."

"Yes, sir," she said, relieved that he wasn't angry with her suggestion. But she hadn't been able to keep from asking. He looked like he'd been through a siege.

She glanced at Alec, who stood, still grinning, as the commander walked off toward the Medical Centre. Freeman winked at her, and she chuckled in spite of herself. Trust the commander to come through such a harrowing adventure in one piece! Well – relatively speaking, of course.

Alec turned to Foster, who had come up to them and was smiling after the retreating form of their commander. "Good work, Paul!"

The colonel grinned, then slid his eyes to Col. Lake. "Told you I'd find him," he said.

**Epilogue**

When Straker emerged from his shower, he found his second-in-command waiting for him in the one recliner the small dorm room provided. He lifted a pale brow.

"In a hurry to give your report, Alec?"

The colonel chuckled. "Just wanted to know how you plan to play this scenario out."

The commander pulled on a jumpsuit while he considered the question. As he sat on the edge of the bed to put on his socks, his lips quirked. "Got any suggestions?"

"Well, you can hardly account for all the blood in the car when you have no visible wounds."

Straker nodded absently. "There is that."

"It might have been a bit more believable if you hadn't cleaned up," his friend admonished.

His commander grimaced. "Maybe. But I couldn't stand being filthy for a moment longer."

Alec grinned. "God forbid that we ever see you with a hair out of place!"

Straker's lips twitched as he stood. "Shut up, Alec!" he said fondly, sliding into his loafers.

After a moment, the colonel returned to the topic at hand. "So . . . what's the plan?"

As Straker brushed his hair, he said, "What makes you so sure I've got one?"

Freeman grunted. "Because you always do."

The commander met his eyes in the mirror over the chest of drawers. "You're right. I do have a plan."

"Well, don't keep me in suspense!" his friend said waspishly.

Again Straker's lips quirked. "I thought I'd go with the truth."

"_What?_" the colonel sputtered. That was the last thing he'd expected to hear.

His friend's wry smile stayed in place, but his blue eyes widened innocently. "Problem?"

Alec gaped at him. Finally he said, "You can't just go telling Henderson the truth! A fairy saved you from the aliens? He'd institutionalize you in a minute!"

The commander shook his head. "Actually, that wouldn't be my biggest concern."

Freeman blinked. "Really? What would be?"

"Come on, Alec!" Straker said as he slipped on his jacket. "You know Henderson. How would he react to finding out that there's a higher authority on this planet than humans?"

The colonel didn't have to think long about that. "He'd blow that entire forest out of existence trying to destroy their hiding place."

Straker nodded. "Exactly. The military mind."

Col. Freeman frowned. "Then why would you tell him . . . ?"

"I have no intention of telling Henderson anything at all," said the commander firmly.

Alec was now completely dumbfounded. "How do you plan to get away with that?" he demanded.

"The same way I did last time," said his boss unhelpfully as he put on his watch.

"Which was how?"

"I'm going to bring Jackson into the picture."

"Jesus, Ed! He's ten times worse than Henderson!"

The commander frowned at him. "How so?"

"You have to ask? Aren't you the one who is always saying he's got seven agendas for everyone else's one?"

"Yes, of course. But in this case that can work for us rather than against us, Alec."

Freeman shook his head. "Boy, are you optimistic!"

"Look, one thing Jackson has that Henderson doesn't is a flexible mind. He's not keyed into the military mind set, so he is free to embrace new ideas."

The colonel frowned. "Sounds risky."

"It is," his friend admitted. "But given the choice, I'll take him over the general any day. At least with Jackson, I have a chance of appealing to his curiosity."

"And you think he'll return the favor by getting Henderson off your back about what really happened out there?"

"If he wants to know more, he'd have to be willing to go at least that far."

Alec brooded for a moment. Then his dark eyes met those of his friend. "Good luck," he said seriously.


End file.
